Statement: Yesterday I tested positive for COVID-19. I am isolating at home with my family. My staff Betty, Zoi & Nick are staffing the West Torrens office to serve our community’s concerns and I will continue to work from home.
Koutsantonis is not the first SA politician to test positive to the virus, with Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas also catching COVID-19 earlier this year.
SA Premier, Steven Marshall, tested negative to COVID-19 after his daughter contracted the virus in January.
This news came as SA recorded 1,624 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and four deaths.
Australian undisputed lightweight boxing champion, George Kambosos Jr, will defend his three world title belts at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on June 5.
The match is likely to be against Ukrainian star Vasiliy Lomachenko or American Devin Haney.
“I only want big names. I don’t want any tune ups. That’s what Australian sports fans want to see, no circus fights, no easy fights, tough battles, fight of the year candidates,” Kambosos Jr told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I don’t plan on handing these belts over, ever. These belts are mine.
George Kambosos Jr is set to defend his title in Melbourne. Credit: Getty.
“This is a legacy fight for me. This is my destiny.”
The 28-year-old Sydneysider stunned the world late last year when he upset American Teofimo Lopez to claim the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
Kambosos will now finalise his world-title opponent within a fortnight.
“This is going to be huge. A mega fight is only fitting for it. The Emperor comes back home to fight in front of all his people in the biggest fight ever in Australian boxing,” he said.
Greece will ease its coronavirus restrictions on Saturday, February 19, as the number of virus-related deaths in the country surpassed 25,000 on Wednesday.
People are now allowed to stand at entertainment venues, while there is increased capacity at sporting venues and field trips for schools can restart.
The Scientific Committee, which is advising the Greek government on the handling of the pandemic, was not in favour of allowing the organisation of large events celebrating carnival to proceed.
This easing of restrictions comes as the total number of virus-related deaths in Greece since the start of the pandemic surpassed the 25,000 milestone, with a total of 25,001 fatalities.
Greek health authorities announced 19,509 new coronavirus cases and 82 virus-related deaths on Wednesday.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, responded on Wednesday to recent statements made by Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the status of the Greek islands that have escalated tensions in the Aegean.
Erdogan said earlier on Wednesday that Turkey is prepared to issue “a warning at the highest level” if Greece does not change its position with regards to the demilitarisation of the Aegean islands.
“We will not be quiet about the military activities taking place in violation of [international] treaties on islands with a demilitarised status,” Erdogan said.
Μια κατάσταση κατά την οποία Τούρκοι αξιωματούχοι, και πάλι σε καθημερινή βάση, έχουν επιδοθεί σε ένα «μπαράζ» παράνομων και προκλητικών δηλώσεων εναντίον μας. Δηλώσεις που δεν έχουν καμία σχέση με το Διεθνές Δίκαιο, καμία σχέση με το Διεθνές Δίκαιο της Θάλασσας.
“At a time when NATO must demonstrate its unity in defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Turkey has decided to threaten Greece and question its very presence and commitment to NATO and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Dendias said.
Turkey has long called for the demilitarisation of the Greeks islands in the eastern Aegean.
Greece has always dismissed these claims, responding that as long as there is a Turkish military threat to these islands they will not be demilitarised.
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) in Greece has announced that it will be running a new English Medical Degree program (MD), exclusively for international students.
This program, that is designed for foreign students, will be exactly the same one followed by Greek students.
The degree combines cutting edge research, education, innovation and ethical values at a university which was recently ranked 46th in the world for the academic subject of “infectious diseases.”
From data collected through the alumni network of the Medical School, it was found that 100 percent of NKUA graduates who are looking for work abroad, find a position.
Eligibility criteria for the degree:
Eligible applicants should have attended the final two classes of high school (or equivalent school) in a country other than Greece and should have obtained a high school diploma or other equivalent secondary education diploma (June 2022 or earlier) that entitles them to admission to higher education institutions in the country where they graduated.
Degree details:
Degree: MEDICAL DEGREE
Language: ENGLISH
Institution: NATIONAL AND KAPODISTRIAN UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, GREECE – SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
By Georgia Pandelios, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Owner at Nutrition Prescription.
Food allergies are a serious and sometimes life threatening reaction to food. It is caused by an immune response where the body identifies a specific food particle as an intruder that it needs to attack – which makes it different to a food intolerance.
Reactions can vary from person to person, making it confusing for carers that have little experience with allergies. A lot of the time, I will hear “will it go away” or “can we give a little bit each day to build up tolerance?” the answer is no and definitely not. Do not feed a suspected or identified allergen to that person or child.
If you are going to care for a child with allergies you need to know the following:
1.What the allergen is, where it is found and how to avoid it.
This involves understanding how to read food labels and being able to modify recipes. You will also need to practice good food hygiene to avoid cross contamination, like washing your face, hands and surfaces, as well as not sharing food if you have eaten the offending allergen. You might choose to use separate cutting boards and utensils in food preparation if the allergen is present in your home. Don’t forget to be mindful of transferring the allergen through kisses if you have recently eaten the allergen without cleaning your face or mouth.
Don’t forget to clean hard surfaces.
2. What the symptoms of a reaction are.
If symptoms are mild, they may experience swelling in the face, eyes and lips, itchy hives on their skin, vomiting or abdominal discomfort. Common serious reactions involve difficulty breathing or speaking, swelling in the tongue and throat, wheezing, coughing, dizziness, fainting and in young children going pale and limp.
3.How to treat a reaction.
Request parents and guardians to bring any allergy medication when dropping off their child, with instructions on dosage. If you keep this at your place, you should make sure it has not expired. If the child is anaphylactic, ask their parent or guardian for their GP allergy action plan and training on how to administer their prescribed Epi-pen in the event of an anaphylactic reaction.
Young child works at desk beside a set of anaphylaxis injector pens.
To make things easy, ask the parent or guardian to provide you with your grandchild’s meals and snacks for their stay. Ask for extra portions and a few extra items that you can store in the freezer for unexpected visits and for some recipes. Also ask for a list of approved foods – this will ideally have household ingredients as well as readily available safe takeaway or packaged foods for when you are out together. I highly recommend you make it known to wait staff when eating out that there is a food allergy, to ensure extra care in avoiding cross contamination in the kitchen.
The more time you spend learning and trying to understand your grandchild’s food allergy, the easier it will be. If you need more support in learning how to manage food allergy, ask to come along to the paediatrician, allergist or dietitian appointments. At Nutrition Prescription, as dietitians highly trained in food reactions, we provide training and refreshers on how to identify food allergens in food labels, high risk settings and practices for cross contamination and recipe modification support.
Nutrition Prescription, founded by leading maternal and foetal health fertility dietitian and nutritionist, Georgia Pandelios, aims to offer nutrition consultations specially designed for the whole family – from infants to adults and elderly, through to highly specialised fertility-pregnancy, paediatric and food reaction services. They can assist with all your nutrition needs, including complex and chronic conditions – in English, Greek or Portuguese.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is generalised and is not intended to replace medical or dietetic advice, nor directly manage any medical conditions. For personalised advice, please speak with your doctor or contact us via info@nutritionprescription.com.au to make an appointment with one of our Dietitians.
A growing number of Greeks around the world are reviving the Ancient Hellenic religion.
They pray to the Olympian gods and other deities, recite Orphic hymns, seek their faith in philosophy, view the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony as a holy ritual rather than a spectacle, and make pilgrimages to temples of antiquity (where they can pay to visit, but are still forbidden to pray).
They call themselves believers of the original Greek faith, known as the Hellenic Ethnic Religion. They have chapters around the globe, even Australia.
Some call them pagans, idolaters, blasphemists, satanists, and other derogatory terms, but Melburnian blogger/retired businessman Savvas Kallimachos Grigoropoulos, the once right-hand man of a late high-ranking clergyman, rejects these terms.
He states his religion transcends the notion of statues, myths and Dodekatheism.
Greek Australian members head to Greece to perform wedding rites and other ceremonies, such as name-giving celebrations. Photo: Savvas Grigoropoulos
“We don’t worship statues as idols, but as ideas,” he told TheGreek Herald.
“Sure we have statues, but these are to symbolise. Sure we have myths, but these need to be decoded for the hard-core theology to come shining through. Sure there are the 12 gods of Olympus, but there are not just 12 gods, there are thousands of gods, as many as are needed for the functioning of the universe.
“We call them universal divine deities, spiritual forces of power without human forms and bodies but depicted in human forms to simplify and symbolise. They are the law of government controlling the universe, maintaining order and harmony.”
He points to a link between Greek gods and the laws of physics, maths, art, thought and life itself.
“Science went hand in hand with the ancient Greek religion. Theologians also studied science and astronomy, and philosophers were all-rounders. Who does that today?”
Beyond being in awe of ancient Greek contributions to science, maths and the creation of some of the world’s most impressive forms of architecture, “the aim of the Hellenic Ethnic Religion is predominantly to teach us a Hellenic way of life of religious principles and values,” Mr Grigoropoulos said.
He states that while many religions gravitate towards death, his religion is all about how to live.
Praying to the gods
Actor/athlete Harry Pavlidis said he has acquired a heightened awareness as a result of his faith.
He speaks of his “anasa” – breath – as a “miracle”, something simple and complicated at the same time. He wakes up practicing DMT breathing before continuing his laborious morning ritual.
“After my cold shower, I prepare my altar. I have my spondes (libation): wine, water, honey, olive oil, incense, and of course my candle is lit, which is Estia. We offer her first above all, because Estia is my home,” he said.
A great believer in the philosophy of “nous ygieis en somati ygiei” (a healthy mind in a healthy body), Mr Pavlidis treats his body like a temple eating organic food and heading to the Blue Mountains every full moon to collect water from a natural spring, which he has been drinking from for the last 20 years.
Actor/athlete Harry Pavlidis at the Epidaurus theatre. Photo: Supplied
“Every month, I bring back 180 litres of nymphs,” he said.
As an actor, he sees himself following the tradition of ancient thespians who used their art as a way to honour the divine rather than focus on fame and fortune, and as a father, he practices his faith with his teenage daughter. He said raising her in the Hellenic Ethnic Religion has helped her shape a unique outlook on life – one not dominated by social media but a life of ethics, morals and critical thinking.
“The ancients didn’t take selfies,” he said, pointing to their efforts to lead virtuous lives.
Reviving ancient beliefs
Members of the Hellenic Ethnic Religion, like Mr Pavlidis and Mr Grigoropoulos, search through ancient texts and cultural relics to reclaim the beliefs of their world-revered ancient forefathers.
Rather than view culture from an objective standpoint, they embrace it.
They meet together for barbecues, hold philosophical discussions, join online groups with members from around the world, visit the Supreme Council of Ethnic Hellenes (YSEE) when they head to Greece where they can take part in outdoor ceremonies with other toga-clad believers.
They take to the countryside for festivities as they are forbidden from praying at ancient Greek temples, which Mr Pavlidis said would make the “ancients turn in their graves”.
Things, however, are looking up for this religion which is gaining membership. It was documented as an actual religion in Greece in February 2017 thanks to work by people such as late activist/author/historiographer Vlassis Rassias, a leading figure in the re-Hellenization movement, hence members can now marry and perform religious rites.
Each year, thousands from around the world head to the Promytheia for their annual bucolic rituals in Litohoroi, a picturesque town at the foot of Mt Olympus.
A number of Greek-Australian believers attend these.
In Australia, the group is still fragmented. Some members even hide their faith from their families, fearing repercussions. Both Mr Pavlidis and Mr Grigoropoulos state that any prejudice they may feel as a result of their religion is nothing compared to what early believers went through when Christianity “was forced upon them” as a “new religion for political purposes”.
“It was a tool to unite the (eastern Roman) empire made up of many different nationalities, to make them loyal,” Mr Grigoropoulos said.
“They didn’t wake up one bright morning, and say ‘oh, we’re giving up our religion’. It was an imposition by the sword. Their temples were destroyed, and on top of these temples were built churches. Their Greek schools were banned, their libraries were banned, their books were burnt, they were forced.”
Mr Pavlidis said 2,000 years “is a long time for people to be conditioned, and it is hard for them to break away from habits and traditions”.
“But just because [these ancient beliefs] have been suppressed for the last 2,000 years doesn’t mean they ceased. Just because mankind said ‘sorry, we’ll move you out of the way and replace you with other faiths” doesn’t mean the gods aren’t present,’ he said. For members of the religion, it’s a connection which can’t be broken.
“I close my eyes, and I do feel their presence inside me,” Mr Pavlidis said.
Federal government-owned shipbuilder, ASC, has welcomed an influx of more than 220 Adelaide workers dumped by the cancellation of a French submarine contract in 2021, The Advertiser reports.
One of these new employees is electrical engineer, Anna Porras, who got a job with ASC in January after working for two years on the Attack-class program with Naval Group.
“It’s rewarding to be able to use the skills I’ve developed on previous projects, while also learning new things.”
Porras, along with the other new ASC employees, are reported to be working on building a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS security pact with the US and UK.
Perth Glory has confirmed that the club’s Liberty A-League Head Coach, Alex Epakis, has signed a one-year contract extension which will see him remain in charge for the 2022-23 season.
Currently in his second year at the helm, the 30-year-old has overseen a remarkable campaign in which his side have established themselves as serious Finals contenders, despite being based in Sydney since the turn of the year and having to play all bar one of their fixtures away from home.
Having recorded five wins and three draws from 11 games, Glory currently sit just three points outside the top four, with three regular-season games left to play.
Epakis has also established an impressive track record over the last two seasons for handing first-team opportunities to young players, many of whom have developed into consistent performers at Liberty A-League level.
The former Sydney University Head Coach is thrilled to have pledged his future to the club and is confident that his squad will continue to evolve and improve throughout the remainder of this season and onwards into 2022-23.
“I am really excited to extend my stay with Perth Glory,” Epakis said.
“I am really passionate about the club and am wholeheartedly invested in the entire playing group and the support staff.
“The opportunity to continue to work alongside a fantastic group of committed players and people is something that really drives me on a daily basis and I am determined to help the group achieve success.
“As a team, we have faced and overcome some difficult moments, but we are focused on a clear vision.
Alex Epakis.
“I am well supported by an excellent staff and together we are committed to ensuring that the team finishes this current season as strongly as possible and to continuing our growth and success into next season.
“Finally, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Glory Owner and Chairman Tony Sage, CEO Tony Pignata and Football Operations Manager Terry McFlynn, for their ongoing support.
“I appreciate that they have trust in my work and vision and I sincerely thank them for the opportunity to represent the club.”
Pignata, meanwhile, was quick to acknowledge the impact Epakis has had upon the club and believes that he has the potential to help re-establish Glory among the Liberty A-League’s most consistently successful clubs.
“Alex has done an excellent job this year under the most trying of circumstances,” Pignata said.
“He has successfully reshaped the squad and we have certainly come a long way since last year.
“It has been incredibly tough for the players and staff to spend so long on the road, but Alex has kept them motivated and focused and that has been reflected by some of the hugely-impressive performances they have produced this year.
“We are confident that he has the ability to use the positives from this season as a springboard for further success in 2022-23.”
Philip Dalidakis, who is a former Victorian Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy, has launched a new corporate advisory firm, Orizontas, with two partners.
Dalidakis, along with co-founders Patrick Gibbons and Vanessa Liell, hope the new firm will provide clients with political, climate, business and communications advice.
Gibbons is a former diplomat, policy advisor and business consultant, while Liell was recently the executive director of Commtrac.
Philip Dalidakis.
Dalidakis, who is also a former executive General Manager of corporate services at Australia Post, says there’s no better time than the present to open the firm.
“We believe now is the right time to open an advisory firm that is solutions-led, values-based, authentic and honest – focused on market, climate, political and reputational risk,” Dalidakis told AdNews.
Orizontas also announced the inaugural members of its advisory board on Friday, including the former Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu, C-Suite executive Annette Carey and entrepreneur Kee Wong.
